Folding boat



(No Model.) H. R. YOUNG.

FOLDING BOAT.

No. 587,905. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

WITNESS:

ATTORNEY sition.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY R. YOUNG, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

FOLDIN G BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,905, dated August 10, 1897. Application filed November 21, 1896. Serial No.612,92 1. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY R. YOUNG, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisian a,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Boats; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in a folding boat, and its novelty will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the annexed drawings; and the object of my invention is to provide a new and useful device for hunters, civil engineers, or other parties whose vocation requires them to cross unbridged streams. I attain this object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top view. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection. Fig. 3 is a cross-section.

In the drawings similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Numeral 1 shows the bottom of the boat, which is constructed of wood, having end sections 2, which are also of wood and connected to 1 by means of hinges 3. The shoe tis constructed of metal and enables the uprights 5 for bow and stern to be held in a secure position.

6 are metal shoes which secure the top sectional rails 7 of boat at bow and stern.

S are shoes which are placed in the center or middle of boat, which connect the sections and hold top rails in position.

9 are ribs which are securely fastened to bottom of boat and are held securely in position by means of shoes 10, which are secured to the inside face of the rails 7.

11 are metal braces which lap over 9 to strengthen the bottom of the boat and hold the end sections 2 in position when the same have been opened or put in position for use.

12 are catches which hold braces 11 in po- These catches are arranged in pairs I have 10- cated two sets of these angle-irons insuch position that one memberis secured to the folding section 2 of the bottom, so that when the forward and rearward ribs 9 are in position they will stand directly over the hinge-lines, thus serving as a means, in addition to the brace 11, to preventv the end sections 2 from closing upon the bottom section 1. Secured to the bottom on opposite sides of the hingeline are the eyes 15, into which the hooks 16 are placed.

17 are pins or eyes projecting from the inn er face of the top rails for engaging cords 18,

which are attached to canvas covering 19 for securing the cover to top rails.

20 designates oar-lock sockets.

The foregoing designates the parts of my folding boat as shown in the drawings.

In practice myboat is propelled in the usual manner, either with oars or a single paddle.

When my boat is not in use, the cord 18 is disengaged from the pins 17, thus permitting the canvas cover 19 to be removed and folded. The top rails 7 are then removed from the shoes 6, and being in section can be separated so that they will be of substantially the same length as the bottom section 1 when the end sections 2 are folded thereon. By simply removing the metal or wooden braces 11, the ribs 9, and disengaging hooks 16 the parts2 can be folded on part 1, and the various parts placed in a compact position can be securely placed in an ordinary box and transported without inconvenience until necessity requires an unfolding of the various parts in order to place them together for use.

A striking advantage of my invention is its economical construction and ease by which the same may be placed into practical operation.

Having described my invention and the manner in which the same is or may be operated, I would say, in conclusion, that I do not limit myself to the precise details shown in illustration, as the same may be varied to some extent; but

\Nhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A folding boat consisting of a bottom in sections connected on transverse hinge-lines, angle-irons on opposite sides of said hingelines, catches outside said angle-irons, substantially U-shaped ribs whose bases extend along the hinge-lines and fit removably between the angle-irons, braces resting upon the bases of the ribs with their extremities engaging the catches, uprights rising from the bottom, top rails attached to said uprights, and a cover attached to the rails, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a folding boat, the combination with a bottom composed of hinged sections, angleirons secured thereto, substantially U -shaped ribs whose bases stand between said angleirons, catches secured to the bottom, and braces engaging said catches and resting upon the upper faces of the rib-bases; of shoes at the ends of the bottom, uprights rising therefrom, sectional top rails secured to the uprights and to the arms of the ribs, and a flexible covering connected to the rails, substantially as described and for the'purpose set forth. a r

3. Afolding boat consisting of ahinged sectional bottom, means for holding it distended, substantially U-shaped ribs, eyes secured to the bottom at each side of the hingeline, hooks in pairs attached to the arms of the ribs for engaging said eyes, sectional top rails attached to the ribs, and a cover attached to the rails, substantially as described.

4. A folding boat consisting of a bottom in sections connected on transverse hinge-lines, angle-irons and catches both secured to the bottom on opposite sides of said hinge-lines, substantially U-shaped ribs whose bases extend along the hinge-lines and fit removably between the angle-irons, braces resting upon the rib-bases and engaging the catches, eyes 

